


Valmir the Mage I

by Le_Flambeau



Category: Elder Scrolls
Genre: Altmer - Freeform, Arcane University, Imperial City, M/M, Mages Guild, Vampires, Werewolves, breton - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-09 15:00:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19478308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Le_Flambeau/pseuds/Le_Flambeau
Summary: The Altmer Valmir, a resident of the Imperial City and member of the Arcane University and Mages Guild, has just returned home from a commission with the Legion during which his commander and lover was killed. He gets involved with the City Guard trying to help them solve a vampire attack.Takes place after the Oblivion Crisis, 4E 7 approx.Trying to get the lore straight, but I focus on the story. :)





	Valmir the Mage I

0.

Valmir Elsinorin looked over the cemetery of the Imperial City. He was dressed in his best silken robe, shimmering in pale blue. The trimmings were woven in a thin gold thread made to match his gold eyes. The textile was embroidered with the flowers of his home of Summerset in discreet silver blue and silver yellow thread, made to the likeness of his own pale yellow hair. He had combed it straight down and it almost reached the middle of his back or his silken belt in front.

The doors to the Avidius family crypt stood open, lights burned inside together with incense. The smell drifted outside and made him shiver. It was the smell of contemplation and death. The inside of his palms were wet from his physical and mental agitation. Valmir swallowed in his dry throat.

Around the crypt stood a dozen of Mallus Avidius’ closest family and friends. They had interred an urn. Everything else had been impossible. Valmir had been the one who had brought Mallus back… His reanimated, dead remains, on an old donkey cart, all the way back to the Imperial City. Mallus had been his Commander, his best friend and the man he had loved for over three years. They had met after Valmir had graduated from the Arcane University. He could still feel that burning, jumping spark in his stomach when they had been introduced. It had been… too good, he thought now.

The priest emerged last from the crypt and closed the gates. You could still see the flicker of flames from inside the bars. The people began to disperse, leaving gifts and flowers. Valmir had never known them. He and Mallus had always been out on campaigns together, never at home. The cold spring sun shone down through the branches of the trees, painting an unrealistic picture of bright greens, sun yellow and the brown of last years grass. His body longed for the big warm hands to caress him, to touch him and stroke him.

Valmir slowly approached the crypt now. He had not had the chance to go inside, but it was enough to remain outside too. He wrapped a white silken band around the bars, tying it in place. It was made with blue flowers and a short Aldmeri text. Valmir had thought to make it with red flowers for Mallus’ birthday, thinking their life of campaigning would continue forever. They had both liked it. All they had needed was a tent. His fingers gripped the bars as he leaned on the gates a little. Tears were running down his cheeks. It felt good the others had left, now he could be alone with the peaceful dead. He hulked a few times, dried his eyes and hoped he had dressed adequately for the occasion.

Mallus had always liked to tease him about how he dressed and his elven clothes. He did not have anything better than this. His mind’s eye turned to the winding catacombs again and he felt that his time at the graveyard had come to an end. He dried his cheeks, sighed at the forever silent people inside the crypt and turned to walk through the bushes and gravestones to the entrance gate. A few people still lingered there. He saw Mallus’ sister.

“Is it… you who brought him home?” She asked. Valmir stopped and nodded. “Do you know if… he said anything?” Valmir felt the stench of decay in his nose again, the soggy underground filled with mould and lichen. The heavy wet weight and the smell of damp steel of the lumbering reanimated corpse of Mallus as he had shuffled into him. The feel of his teeth in the curve of his neck.

And then the limp arms around him, fingers grabbing his back. The rancid smell. But then the rotting mouth had let go, and a slow pained moan had come from its mouth, and Valmir had understood that it had been a last desperate embrace. As if it had realised what it was, recognized Valmir in his terror and asked for release form its decaying mortal form. Perhaps it had realised the horror of its existence just then. There had been a few fleeting seconds when Valmir had embraced it, drawn it to himself. 

Then he had summoned a cleaning light, a divine spell of flame, whispering silently that they would meet in Aetherius again. That it should rest as it fell to the ground, the necromantic energies burning away under the light of the Divines.

“He… wanted to come home for his birthday.” He said silently to her. The sister squeezed his hand, not really knowing who he had been.

“Thank you.” She said and walked away to a waiting carriage. Valmir walked away a few houses and found a small corner garden. He did not know to whom it belonged but he slowly sat down, and looked up at the sky and the White Gold Tower.

1.

Valmir sat quietly, looking down on the grass, whenever his eyes were not watering. At least he watered the garden he thought, as he saw a shadow approach from the street. It was a city guard by the looks of the heavy armour.

“Citizen. You know this is a private garden?” He asked. Valmir shook his head.

“I just need… some time.” He managed.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just sitting… I…” His voice trailed away and he looked down on the ground again.

“Well… Just leave before the owners of the house return.” The guard said and walked away. Valmir looked as he stomped down the paved street. He did not want to move. What was he supposed to do? Take a commission with the army again? Study some magic at the Guild? He did not want to do anything. “You’re still here?” Valmir jerked, feeling his heart race. He never scared easily, usually. He must have been tired.

“Oh I’m…” He looked up, seeing it was night. He sighed at himself, massaging his hands. 

“You will have to come with me, where do you live?” Valmir looked at the guard, he could barely see the eyes glimmer inside the helmet. Otherwise it was so dark he looked like an steel golem. Most probably he thought Valmir was crazy… or a drunk. 

“I… will come.” He said and rose slowly, haplessly brushing off nothing on his robe before walking out on the street. He realised he was a bit cold. 

“Where do you live?”

“In the Temple District.” Valmir said, pointing down the street. “Not far.”

“We will see about that. Why are you sitting around like that?”

“Oh nothing…” Valmir managed. But it was not fair to say that. “Someone I cared about was interred today.”

“Someone I should know?”

“Hardly. He was just a commander in the Legion.”

“Oh well.” The guard said as they passed through the gates to the Temple District. “So where’s your shack, elf?” Valmir moved in the direction of the main bridge leading towards the inner moat. Along the street leading to the Temple of the One there was a three storeyed house, and one of the doors was his. He fumbled around for a key. “You would probably get robbed going home by yourself from that garden, citizen.” The guard said.

“Yes.” Valmir sighed.

“You should not be sitting round like that.”

“Yes…” Valmir said slowly, turning the key in the lock. “I mean… no.” The guard lit his lantern with a small frown, shaking his head. 

“Is there someone that can take care of you?” He asked. Valmir blinked.

“Take care of me…?” He asked, turning the second key in the lock.

“You are obviously not quite home. In the head.”

“Oh I… I can always go to the Guild. They have potions and other, uh things.”

“Mages Guild?” Valmir nodded. “Well fine. Try not to go out after dark then, at least until you know what time of day it is, huh?” Valmir nodded and thanked him before closing his door, hearing the guard’s steel boots walk down the street.

Valmir lit a small fire in his kitchen. Mallus had never been here. On his last leave Valmir had bought two crystal glasses, quite expensive, thinking that someday they might both come here. Someday… He gave up a snort. Now they would remain standing in his more and more dusty closet…. in his ever more dusty house. He walked up the narrow stairs to his bedroom, leaving his boots downstairs.

The whole house was narrow. The study at the top floor was probably crawling with spiders now. He untied his belt and removed his robe, carefully placing it in his wardrobe. He washed up and put on his nightshirt, lit another fire to keep warm and crawled into bed, realising how cold and tired he was.

He slept dreamlessly, deeply and woke to a gloomy grey evening. Had a day passed? Struggling from bed he made himself walk downstairs to eat some cheese and bread. He made a brew from some herbs and tea he had bought in the Market District which reminded him of home. It tasted quite well. Thinking to go upstairs with it he almost dropped his cup as he heard hard banging on his door. Putting the cup down on his kitchen table he looked out a small slit of a window to the street. He just wished to go back up… pretend he was not at home…

“You in there?!” It was the guard again. What did he want? Valmir sighed.

“Yes?” He asked slowly as he unbolted the door. Only then he realised he was still in his nightshirt. The guard’s eyes slowly turned under the helmet, looking at the faded bite-marks in the bend of the neck. Valmir pulled his collar over it. “Yes?” He asked again, a bit annoyed.

“You were with the Guild right?”

“What about it?”

“Can you come quickly?” Valmir stared at him.

“What?”

“I do not have time to fetch a mage from the Guild! But I need a healer… or a… I do not know! Something has killed a man, another needs…. help.” Valmir noted he was sweating. He must have run to his house. Slowly his mind began working. He returned inside, wrapping his everyday beige and green robe about himself and pulled his boots on. He drank his brew quickly and then locked his door. “You can… heal?”

“I am a battlemage. But… I can, yes.” He said.

“Hurry.” The guard simply said. Valmir could almost hear some fear in his voice. It was not far. The gloom was spreading quickly as the sun set, and the grey clouds seemed to descend upon them. The warmth of the spring sun had disappeared. Valmir shivered, running after the guard. He could have run faster, but the guard’s armour slowed him down. 

They approached the northeast corner of the Temple District. An armoured arm stopped Valmir, halting him. The guard looked around the corner of a house, drew Valmir with him and then passed deeper into an alley, raising his lantern. Slowly he looked around the alley and then pointed. Valmir eased himself ahead of the steel mass in front and looked around the dead end. It looked to have been painted in red. For a moment he stared at the blood, holding his breath from the smell. 

One body was sprawled to the left, against an old barrel. Valmir was not quite sure what had happened, but his gut seemed to have been cut open. The neck hung on the remains of the spine. He looked away, feeling a cold hand pushing him along. Being prepared with a small spark in his hand he stepped forward. Then he took another step, past the body. Noticing a pair of small feet, his brow wrinkled and he took another step, kneeling down. 

“What is this?” He asked grimly, glancing up at the guard, but he was turned to the street, looking about as he switched feet, sword drawn.

“I’m just a guard! I don’t know!” He said with a tremble. Valmir slowly eased a young girl out from behind a pile of crashed boxes. She was not awake, but he felt her breathing, slowly. She was pale.

”You left a girl here?” He growled.

”Look at her!” The guard said. Valmir turned her head sideways, feeling his head lighten as he was the bite-marks. Vampires. He almost dropped her back on the ground again. He summoned a light touch of the divine, but it seemed to distress her more than help. He swallowed. Something cracked above. He looked up; something was sliding from the roof. A trickle of blood came running down too. Valmir pulled away, moving the girl with him too. 

“Mancar Camoran’s ass.” The guard said, pulling him away. The lower half of a body fell down, crashing into the barrel, splashing around, guts going all about. Valmir ducked behind the guard’s shield. 

“Fuck!” He said, stepping away a couple of more steps. “Shit.” He did not want to look at it. He looked back towards the street. He heard the guard puking somewhere behind him. Valmir had stopped doing that a couple of years ago. It did not make him feel less ill though. But the glimmering yellow eyes in the street made him freeze with fear. “By the Nine!” He wheezed between his teeth, staring at the werewolf. 

“Ohhh…” The guard managed, coughing, but then fell silent. He gave up a small whine. “What should we do?” He whispered meekly. Valmir shook his head. He had no idea.

“Pray.” Was the only thing he could come up with. He felt the small girl stir in his arms. The werewolf growled. Valmir realized that he had no wish to be in a standoff between the two, should she turn. The werewolf came closer, on all four, snarling, drooling all over the pavement. The guard went down on his knees and prayed. Valmir opened his mouth. Then closed it. The man was probably more devout than he was. “I’ll… take this girl to… the Mages Guild.” He said slowly. “They will decide what to do with her. Do you understand?” There was a loud bark. Bare, white teeth as long as his fingers glimmered in the dark. “I… promise.” He said, feeling sweat running down his face, even in the cold. Then, the werewolf slowly drew away backwards and backed around the corner. Valmir stood like a dumb statue for a while before he kicked the guard, who got up on his feet.

“What now?”

“You should try to catch it.” Valmir said.

“No!” The guard shivered. “No, I do not deal with this. This is not my work.”

“Yes it is.”

“No, you’re the mage.”

“I don’t… I can’t help…” He said slowly, looking at the girl again. A wave of hurt rolled over him. “We need to get her to the Guild. As fast as possible. They should have a cure disease potions somewhere, surely.”

“I’m not…” The guard began, but Valmir handed him the girl anyway, and he took her with unease and edged forward towards the corner of the street. “Guard me.” He said demandingly. Valmir looked back at the darkened alley and hurried after the lantern, feeling as if something could strike him down instantly if he turned his head. 

2.

Valmir sat glancing out the window in the Mage’s Quarters. The clouds had scattered towards the morning and now a pinkish glow could be seen on the horizon between the remaining clouds. The water was calm over Lake Rumare. It seemed it would be a pleasant spring day in the Imperial City. His head fell from his hand, and he jerked awake.

The room was silent. His eyes drifted over to the other side of the room. There was a bed that the Guild had allowed the guard to borrow as they waited. He had been at the end of his guard round when he had come running and he had carried the girl to the Arcane University, so he had been tired. After handing over the girl to the healers, Valmir had asked for quarters and left him there to sleep.

Valmir had wandered about the island, trying to walk off the shaking legs and to calm himself, before another mage had found him and returned him to the room to rest. He had not slept. Now he rose and lit a small magelight, going to wake the guard.

“We should eat something. Breakfast will be served soon.” He said. The guard stirred. After having removed the steel armour Valmir saw he was most probably a Breton. His ears were a bit pointy. Hair light brown and curly, unkempt, a bit too long. Eyes brown, sleepy. Most probably Breton. Manmer.

“What time is it?” He muttered.

“Morning.” Valmir said, pouring up half a glass of wine for them both. “And we should get introduced.”

“Did you get some sleep?” He asked.

“No.” Valmir said. The guard scratched his neck and squinted at him, took the wine, downed it.

“You really should be at home then.”

“Trust me, I will be as soon as I know what happens to the girl… My name Valmir.” He slowly reached out a hand. 

“Rurane.” He said, shaking his hand. Then he rose. Valmir pointed out the hall.

“Leave your things.” He said and walked out.

“Handy. Having a light like that.” Rurane said, following the floating turquoise light that spun slowly about Valmir’s right shoulder.

“You’re Breton. You should be able to learn to summon one, it is not difficult.”

“Nah. I don’t think so.”

“I do.” Valmir said silently and stepped into the mess hall. It was too early for most of the students and mages, but a few were up, eating. Valmir took a bowl of porridge, had some random jam in it and sat down to eat. He wasn’t really hungry. He ate a few spoons, stifled a yawn, ate some more. He noticed a figure, finding Elenwen, one of his associates approaching. She was an Altmer too. They had studied together, but she had remained in the University whilst he had gone on commissions for the Legion.

“Valmir. Shouldn’t you be at home?” She said, giving him a peck on the cheek and his shoulders a squeeze. 

“Yes. But we will stay until we hear word of the girl.” Valmir said. Rurane nodded.

“Oh yes that’s right… I heard from one of the clerics. Was it you?” She looked at the guard, not looking too impressed. “Did you really have to go stirring Valmir up? The vampire was long gone, surely…”

“Elen…” Valmir sighed, waving her away. “It is fine. For some reason there was a werewolf there too.”

“A werewolf…? Surely you are mistaken. Perhaps it was a big stray dog.”

”No-” Rurane began.

”And you both were shocked. As if vampires were not enough. So close to your home too! You should sleep here for a couple of nights.”

“I’ll lock my windows.” He said, rising. “Do take care.” He really tried to sound like he meant what he said. But he just wished to go home. Rurane just followed him.

“Be careful!” She said after him. Valmir trailed his instinctive way to a room higher up that served as a wing for recovering after all kinds of ailments. He knew, he had been brought here himself after carting Mallus across half of Cyrodiil with the help of that damn donkey. Luckily, by that time he had just contracted Ataxia, Collywobbles and a mild form of Helljoint from the bite at the nape of his neck. 

It had been before the necromancer’s dungeon that he had got banged up for real. From somewhere the necromancers and the local bandits had managed to get the skills to concoct exploding projectiles. Before Valmir’s contingent had had the time to react, they had sprayed their fortifications with enough to light half of them ablaze and killed half a dozen. 

Valmir had been in charge of the small contingent of mages present, but their wards had not done much against the second volley. One of the projectiles had blown up right next to Mallus, killing him instantly, even with full armour. Just like that. No thrashing or last words. By the time Valmir was there he had been long gone. The thing about being home for his birthday Valmir had told his sister Mallus had said many nights earlier and were not his last words at all. He had just not known what else to say.

By the third volley they were already pushing the necromancers and bandits back. Valmir did not remember much of it, because he had been blown away by one of the exploding projectiles and passed out with a big burn on his side. The others were not fools of course and had driven away the attack. He woke just in time to storm the abandoned fort and take the fight back to the assailants and their reanimated corpses.

In the eyes of the Legion it had been a success, the necromancers had been eliminated from the area. They had told him so as their men had returned to the City. They had got a new commander, restocked and replaced the men that were sick and marched right out again. He had been given a promotion to the rank of Magician, but had remained in bed at the Guild for a week. Elenwen had helped with her restoration skills. And now he was here… again.

“Do you have any… news?” Rurane asked a bearded old man. Even Valmir was not sure what race he was. It would not have surprised him if he was a dragon in disguise.

“Oh, yes, come.” The old man said and walked away to one of the alcoves. “The potion has done its work. Good we had some fresh herbs for it. Look, look.” Valmir looked in on the bed. The girl was asleep, but had got a healthy blush on her face. “She ate some soup earlier.”

“Bless the Divines.” Rurane said. Valmir nodded.

“Do you know who she is?” The old man asked.

“No.” Rurane said. “I will ask around the district after I report back to the Captain at the barracks.”

“Please do. We’ll take care of her for the time being.”

“I need to get my armour.” Rurane said.

“I will see you downstairs.” Valmir said. When the guard had gone he turned to the old man.

“I-”

“How is the bite?” Valmir slowly pulled his collar down.

“How would you find a werewolf?” He asked. The old man eyed him.

“Heals well. Come back later and we’ll make sure that it disappears.”

“How?”

“Local Hircine shrine?”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Isn’t there? Then I don’t know!” The old man said. “But please, go home before you do anything else. Let that guard ask around for you.”

“Yes. Thank you.” Valmir said, walking down the stairs slowly, meeting up with the big steel golem that Rurane had dressed into and walked back out into the city.

3.

He had a most pleasant dream. He had been back in Mallus’ private tent, it had been last summer, hot. He had been drowsing in bed, naked and still too warm, with Mallus behind himself. He had not touched him, but he could still feel the warmth from his body. With the balmy winds, that summer had been one of the most pleasurable times of Valmir’s life. As he woke he could still imagine himself perceive the weight of another body behind himself in bed, hold on to that dream, the warmth and calm…

He remained lying on his side for a long time yet, holding on to it, before his mind became too awake to make it real anymore. As he had gone to bed, he had stuffed his ears with thick cotton. He was tired of waking up from people seeking him for some reason or the other. He sat up. Swung his feet over the side of the bed. Realised he needed a bath. He would have to fetch water from the well, go outside…

It took its time. He put two buckets to boil, then filled his small tub with fresh water, boiled two more and by the time he was finished he just sunk down into the water and looked up at the sky. His tub was outside, on his small plot of grass, facing the inner wall. The neighbours had no windows this way. He washed most of his clothes too before indulging in his own cleanliness. Then he emptied the tub into the garden, cleaned it with another bucket, and sunk down on one of the kitchen chairs inside, tired.

If he could have conjured food, he would have done so. Instead there was a knock on the door. He looked through the small window and opened the door.

“Yes?” He asked Rurane. What a surprise. His eyes were on his bitemark again.

“I came to see if you wished an update on matters?” Valmir looked at him, then outside. It was still day. What day he did not know. “Or I can come back…”

“Give me a moment.” Valmir said and nodded him in before he went upstairs, even managing a pair of trousers this time before he pulled on one of his dry robes and finally pulled all his hair up into a damp knot. Then he went downstairs, pulled on a pair of slippers and took some coin with him. “You can tell me while I eat.” He said and locked the door.

The All-Saints Inn was not large, but it was midday and not many were there. Valmir ordered a big, three-course meal and a half-bottle of wine and water. Then he leaned back and looked at the guard.

“So?” He asked. Rurane was looking at him he saw. Not just watching if he was going to fall asleep in his soup, but in that other way. That way which made Valmir feel a shy pride in his stomach. 

“I… have not found anyone who misses a daughter in the Temple District, nor in the others. The other guards have asked around too. Nothing. Whoever was killed in that alley did probably not live permanently in this city.”

“Sad.” Valmir said, finishing up his soup. He felt better already. He had been hungry. “I am sorry but I have not looked further into the werewolf business.” He closed his eyes, sighing to himself. 

“I did not expect you to.”

“Well I think I should. If you cannot tell whom the victims were. As you said. I am the mage here.”

“I talked to some of the legionnaires around the barracks before. They told me about what you all did, with the necromancers and all. Your friend was right. I should not have disturbed you like that. I’m sorry for that.” Valmir looked up at him.

“You think so?” He asked slowly. Rurane opened his mouth to object but Valmir silenced him with a tired hand. “Perhaps you’re right.” He looked over at the maid as she walked in with his food. “But I’ll still do it. Would you happen to know where there could be a shrine to Hircine?”

“Hircine?! By the divines I do not!”

”Well… Where do we find some Bosmer then?”

”Docks?” Rurane suggested. Valmir shrugged. 

“I’ll try there.” He said, finding his stomach insatiable. Then he ate in silence. Rurane had some of his wine and ate some of his pie. He finished, paid and left. Passing by his home, Valmir picked up his rosewood staff and turned to walk slowly down towards the docks. The guard walked off somewhere to do some dutiful thing.

The Waterfront District was bustling with people. Valmir passed the lighthouse and walked over the bridge to the docks. It was not far from where he had sat his foot down for the first time in Cyrodiil, coming off a boat from Auridon. There was another boat moored to the docks there now, and they continued all the way up and down the crescent island like fruit hanging of a white branch. Perhaps, he thought, he should reset himself here; take another perspective on life, again.

He set his course south, to the Imperial Trading Company. As it turned out they employed a lot of Bosmer. Valmir looked about. Then he went around the main docks. Turned round, and walked behind them. There were shacks and bedrolls lying about. This was where the poor lived, and the thieves. If there was a shrine, it would be here, where the Legion did not see it.

“Wrong island, mage.” Valmir stopped, looking at an Argonian lounging in an old wicker chair, with a hole for his tail.

“I need to find a shrine. To Hircine.” He said, hoping someone else would hear him too.

“That is a most unusual request.” The Argonian said. A short Bosmer appeared from around a corner.

“An Altmer looking for a shrine to Hircine? Try another one!” 

”An Altmer that requires the assistance of lycanthropes to find some murderous vampires.” Valmir sneered back at him. “If you find any I’ll be waiting by the main bridge until dusk.” He said, turned and mooted away some Waterfront residents with his staff before he went back.

He sunk down on an old chair by a barrel serving as a table with a view over the main bridge and ordered something to drink. He sat there, looking at the people that came and went for a few hours perhaps. He didn’t really know, but eventually the sun began to set and he began to feel cold again, so he slowly took his leave, only to be stopped at the other end of the bridge by three Bosmer whistling for his attention. 

“You.” One of them said. “I know you.” Valmir walked round the bridge support to a slightly more secluded place.

“You do?” He asked. “Then you must be that werewolf I saw.”

“Tell me.” The Bosmer said. “’Bout the girl.”

“She will make a full recovery.” That seemed to ease the tension a bit. “The City Guard could not find out who she was. That is why I am here. Who was she? Were the others her parents?” The Bosmers looked about at each other for a while.

“This is Arnor, Casthia and I am Haynor.”

“Valmir.”

“Of the Mage’s Guild?” Valmir nodded. “Well. The one you saw by the barrel was indeed her father. The vampires killed him first.”

“And the one that fell from the roof? Did you do that?”

“Yes. A vampire. Male. The other half should be somewhere in the inner canal.” Haynor grinned. “I could not simply let him finish that girl.” Valmir nodded.

“And the mother?” The Bosmer shrugged. 

“I do not know, by the time I had tracked the vampires there, there was only the father and daughter. I asked some of my clanfolk. They came by boat a couple of weeks ago. Nobody would have known them in town. Perhaps they slept in the alley.”

“Where do the vampires rest?” Haynor shook his head.

“If I knew, they would not sleep anymore.” He said. Valmir conceded to that.

“How can I get word to you?”

“My daughter sells flowers by the statue of Dibella.” Valmir nodded. Without further words the Bosmer took the leave first, walking back towards the Waterfront. Valmir waited a moment before he lit a magelight against the darkness and stepped up on the road again, passing by the bright lighthouse before returning home slowly.

4.

After getting some much needed shopping done the next morning, Valmir stuffed his cabinets full and ate a cold lunch before dressing moderately proper and locking his doors again. He only brought his staff when he knew there could be trouble and let it rest in by his dusty cloak hanger behind the door.

It was Sundas. Valmir chanced a guess that Rurane was not working today. He also guessed that he was of the Moorheart Maurard family, after asking another of the patrolling guards. The Moorheart Maurards had a big house in the Talos Plaza District. House was an understatement, it was like a castle. Valmir supposed the whole clan lived there. He knocked on the front door.

“My goodness an elf!” A middle-aged woman said as she opened, eyeing him. 

“By Auri-El a Breton!” He echoed mildly. “I need to have a chat with Rurane, please.” Her eyes gave a sparkle.

“In what business?”

“Mages Guild business.” She reluctantly let him in to a foyer. The house went off in all directions, up down, left right and forward. He sat down on a comfortable sofa to wait. He counted the pair of shoes by the entrance. Nine pairs. At least nine in the house then. Probably more. Three women. There was a loud call.

“RURANE! Get down here!” A few seconds later he came jumping down the steps. He stopped at the bottom when he saw it was Valmir. Nice bothering someone at his or her home for once, Valmir thought, but kept a lofty-non-expression on his face.

“We need to talk. Somewhere in private perhaps?” He said.

“Oh.” Rurane said, Valmir saw his mind working. “Let’s go to the garden then.” Valmir rose, a head higher than what he assumed was Rurane’s mother and followed him left through a kitchen and out a small side door to a big garden. It was full of trees and surrounded with houses on all sides. Valmir used to have a garden in his backyard when he had studied at the University. But when he had gone out campaigning it had turned into a piece of grass and bush again. 

“How many siblings do you have?” He asked, curious. He sat down on a bench under an apple tree. Rurane gestured to the windows on the third floor.

“Those three brothers.” He said. Valmir saw them in the windows. “Two older. One younger. Then two sisters.”

“You’re all Breton?”

“Oh, we have some odd Imperial blood here and there. But mostly so.”

“What do they do?”

“One is in the Legion, the second in the family business with my sisters, the young one in the Clergy. How about you?” Valmir shrugged.

“I have a koo-koo aunt in Black Marsh. Then a sister and brother and the rest of the family back in Summerset.”

“I see. So why did you come?”

“I saw the werewolves.” Valmir said in a more quiet tone. Rurane looked almost scared.

“Why…? How did you find them? At the docks?” Valmir shrugged.

“I told them I was out to kill vampires. Words spreads quickly at the Waterfront.”

“Then there is a good chance the vampires know too!”

“Perhaps. But they told me the girl’s family had come in on a boat. So they are not from around here. The mother is missing. The gutted one was the father. The half one was a vampire. His other half should be in the inner canal somewhere. If the Guard wishes to find them, I suggest they search that body carefully. Both parts of it.” Rurane thought for a while.

“First thing in the morning.” He said finally.

“Fine.” Valmir said, rising. “I’m going home.” He was followed out to the front door and shown out. He then had a quiet lunch at the Foaming Flask, passed over the small bridge to the inner circle of the city and walked under the shadow of the White Gold Tower until he passed the cemetery on his left. He could see the white cloth he had left at the mausoleum gates, but could not find the will to disturb the dead and passed on until he came to the bridge over to the city gardens, passed over it and entered the Arboretum.

Here stood statues of all the Divines. He looked about, found the one of Dibella and went slowly over there, finding a young Bosmer woman selling flowers in the shade of the Goddess.

“You are Haynor’s daughter?” He asked. She glanced at him, eyes sparkling green. Quite beautiful actually.

“Yes, that’s right. I am Dagail. You must be the Altmer he spoke about? Have you found out where… they live?”

“Not yet, but perhaps soon.” He said. “I am Valmir.” He eyed her bouquets. “Give me one of those, with red and blue.” He said, shifting some coin up from his pockets, paying her and took his leave. He left them by the small shrine of Dibella close to the statue. The Goddess of love, beauty and affection. Her followers also claimed that vampires had impure spirits, but he did not know whether that was them or the Goddess who thought so. Perhaps she could help him forget how much love hurt.

The next day passed slowly. Sleeping a few hours after midnight he woke by sunrise. Ate, went into his backyard and drew an old armchair out from an overgrown bush and sat there. His mind turned on thoughts of Mallus, what they could have done instead of going into the wilds to root out necromancers. Why one blast had killed him but only burnt Valmir. Some stupid chance. A stone could fall on his head and kill him, right now, he supposed. But it didn’t. Instead it started raining a wet cold spring rain and he went inside, made himself a potent brew and moped upstairs, shrugging off his wet robe.

About half way through his cup there was a knock on his door. Valmir pulled the keys from his belt and opened his window, throwing them down before closing it and returning to bed. The rain outside had not stopped and the clouds were dark grey and low. Darkness would fall quickly, he assumed. It was already dark in his room, as he had forgot to light a fire. 

“Hello?” He could hear Rurane call from downstairs. Then there were steps in the stairs. He had a wet cloak on, and the leather gear worn under the steel armour of the guards. “You can’t throw out keys like that.” He said, hanging them on the bedpost. Valmir looked at him.

“Perhaps not.” He said. Then he summoned a small flame in the fireplace. Rurane shoved a pair of logs in there too. “Please, dry yourself.” Valmir said. He hung up his cloak to dry. “Here is some nice tea.”

“We did find the other half.” Rurane shuddered as he took the cup. “The remains are of one Glaum Dorn’ke. He had been missing from his home in the Elven Gardens for about three months. He had a key around his neck. A small one. Imperial made. Turns out it opens the gates to the Imperial Sewers in his home district. He had worked as a serviceman there before he disappeared.” Rurane said and looked down into the cup. “What’s in this?” He asked. Valmir smiled.

“A healthy dose of moon sugar.” He said slowly. “Not cold anymore are you?” Two big angry eyes turned to him. “So the vampires are in the sewers.”

“You gave me moon sugar?!”

“It is a courtesy among Khajiit.” Valmir said. “So what. Are you going to arrest me? Do you want me to pay the court a fine, or serve my sentence?” He laughed silently, reaching out his hands to be cuffed.

“I am tempted to!” Rurane said, but instead closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head. “I need to go home. We’re going down the sewers tomorrow.” He said, looking to be trying to get up.

“Yeah try going home to mother like that.” Valmir said, pushing him out of bed with his foot. He did manage to stay on his feet. It had been quite mild tea.

“You elves are intolerable!” Rurane frowned and took his cloak, feeling it. It looked dry.

“They say so.” Valmir said.

“You’ll come with me downstairs and you’re going to lock your door! I will not have you robbed because you’re stoned in bed.” Rurane said and pulled Valmir up, moving him in front of himself and down the steps.

“The keys.” Valmir said, finished the tea and put the cup down on the kitchen table. Rurane went up, and down again, shoved them in his hand. “I’ll… help… tomorrow.” He said. “You need help I think. Vampires are dangerous.”

“I don’t think we need help.” Rurane said. Valmir looked at him.

“Why did you come fetch me the last time then? If you didn’t need a mage?” The guard just stared at him for a few moments, jerking his head a bit as if to concede that they needed help, if just a little and went out the door.

“Lock it.” He said. Valmir looked at the keys. He had a lot of keys. There was a bang at the door. “Lock it!” Valmir jumped and locked the two locks. He looked out the little window.

“Happy?” He asked through the window. He wished Rurane could have stayed a bit. If just for some company. To talk to someone, for a small while. He saw how Rurane tried to open the door from the outside.

“Good night, Citizen!” He said daftly and then his footsteps disappeared down the street.

5.

Valmir was up by first light. First he summoned as many mages as the Guild could spare, which was two, and sent word to them to meet him at his house. Then he passed the alchemists to pick up a potion to fortify his magicka for the rest of the day and a vial of holy water. After that he went home and dressed, just as the sun was beginning to rise.

He dug deep in his closet, unfolding his battle-robe. It was not in any pretty colour, it was tight fitting and completely black. It was easier with bloodstains that way. On top of it he strapped on his dulled elven armour, including wristguards, shinguards and the heaviest, which was a shoulder armour that stretched into something like a chest piece. It was all enchanted of course. 

The final piece was a heavy circlet, not one that one wore on social gatherings. This one covered the whole brow, shading the eyes, and jutted out to protect the nose and forehead in its middle. When mages began blasting stunning bright spells everywhere, it did a lot to reduce the blinding effects of them. Tying his hair back, as not to incinerate it by mistake he returned downstairs, sat down for breakfast and waited for the mages.

They approached the barracks of the City Guard just when the night shift went off duty. Valmir counted seven of them, in armour. They seemed a bit surprised. Grateful, but surprised. Valmir located Rurane and asked him to send a runner to Dagail too.

“This is a bit different than… slippers.” Rurane said slowly as the runner disappeared.

”I told you I’m a battlemage.” Valmir said dryly. “I don’t go pansy round making flowers grow.” He looked around, finding himself thinking that he would rather have had any of the guards right now than going down to fight vampires in the sewers. But that were just the nerves talking, he knew. “You’re not in charge are you?” He asked. Rurane pointed over to another, older guard. Valmir stepped over there. “We should not waste daylight.” He said. The Captain agreed, soon they were all headed to the sewers.

They had a rough sketch of the sewers and split in two groups, Valmir with Rurane and three other guards and the other two mages with two of the guards and the Captain. Valmir was happy it was not summer, because he might have fainted from the smell had it been any worse. He wetted his whole armour with the holy water, as well as the staff, and then passed it round to all the other guards.

“If they touch you, they’ll burn.” He said, trying to keep out the memories of the old fort and the zombies. They looked a bit scared. He wished he had have something to say, but he did not, instead they searched the first part of the sewers, met up with the other group and continued to the next section, doing the same thing over again. They found no creatures at all. Not even rats. Usually the bums slept in the sewers for warmth. They were gone too. Valmir could guess where. Rurane came up to him.

“The commander you spoke of. You loved him, didn’t you?” He asked silently. Valmir’s mouth twitched.

“Yes. I loved him.” He said under his breath, feeling a hurting lump in his throat.

“How did you know?”

“Know?” What a strange question. Valmir thought for a while, remembering his first commission. “I felt it when we met the first time. It was like when you fall in your sleep. That kind of feeling. Then you know.” 

“I see.” Rurane muttered to himself. They patrolled another round. Met up with the other group, continued and found nothing again, but did not meet the Captain and his group when they returned.

“We should move quickly.” Valmir said. “And you need to guard my back.” The guards did not mind walking second it seemed and they headed off to where the other patrol had gone. He took a deep breath. “Listen, even if the damned things bite you, you have three days to drag yourself to the nearest alchemist and get a potion. Just try not to let them rip your throat out, use the shield or something. I’m sure you have dealt with skooma addicts, surely? They like to bite and kick about. It’s a bit like that.” The guards seemed calmed by that.

The next bend they could hear some commotion ahead, lights flickering, but Valmir held them back and sent a magelight through the open room which they had to pass to get to the next tunnel. The light passed through the damp highly vaulted room. Around the corners of the ceiling and walls, beady eyes glittered in the dark. He could hear the guards gasp silently.

“How many missing persons do you have in the city right now, Rurane?” He asked.

“About forty.” He said slowly. 

“Oh. Fine. That’s not counting the bums and homeless beggars then.” He said, lifting his staff.

“No.” Rurane managed in a shivering voice. Valmir put up a small ward in front of them, threw the spell of fire from his staff with a whirl and released a breath. The wave of fire grew in breadth until it was wide as the room and then ran up the walls, seeking oxygen from the sewer openings higher up. The vampires on the wall and ceiling erupted into a cacophony of screams.

“Go get them boys.” Valmir said and lowered the ward, smacking up three burning screeching vampires before the guards moved. They were a bit clumsy, but they were not legionnaires either, and eventually finished them all off. Valmir poked around in their ashes. “The lowest ranking vampires I suspect. Let us hurry on.” He said. They entered the tunnel again, followed it and emerged into a larger area.

In the middle ran the main sewer, crossed by a small bridge in the middle. On both sides swarmed a mass of vampires. Valmir’s eyes widened and he stared for a moment. It really was an infestation. To think that they had been under the city for months… they must have been starving. And frenzied by it.

“Divines bless us.” Rurane said slowly. Valmir found the small group on the other side of the main sewer. 

“Please, stick together.” Valmir said and focused. He needed to conjure a slightly larger spell, fire of course. It was a good thing he could focus through the staff, handling big amounts of magicka through your hands was not comfortable. He sent it out in a vertical line, then followed up with a diagonal smaller one.

The fire went through the room like a sickle, and bodies began falling from the ceiling and walls like ripe fruit. The guards got it this time and began ploughing through the closest ones. Valmir began hitting them with spells of fire too. Someone gave up a yelp when one of the vampires bit a hold on his armour. Valmir disregarded that. He had noticed something else. One of the vampires was not scuttling about. It was watching them, and then Valmir.

It was obviously the one who was the most powerful of them. He disregarded him for a moment. Conjuring another big wave of fire and sent it across the sewer to the other group, giving them a small break. Then he backed up a bit and slammed a vampire in the head with his gloved hand.

“That one is their leader.” He said to Rurane, pointing. He could see the man was sweating, and panting heavily. But his armour protected him too. “Keep away from him.” Rurane nodded, jerking at a snarling mouth by his ear. Valmir shoved a fireball down its throat and held his hand over its mouth as it incinerated from inside. 

“We will try.” He said, giving Valmir a look saying he really wished to get out of there. The other group, minus one of the mages who was gone somewhere trampled across the small bridge and joined the four guards in the corner. Valmir ploughed past them, warding and burning the vampires in his way.

He did not really know why he was doing it, but who else? The conjurer from the Guild? Then they should have conjured a dozen flame atronachs. All he saw was a small blade and a ward. Valmir wondered if the head vampire would take him up on his challenge. He did. It was a brute of a monster. Pale, bald, looking more like a bat than a man or a mer.

He was smiling. Valmir put a ward up on his right side and threw a firewall from his left. He did not smile after that and barely managed a dodge. Then he sprang and leapt forward, Valmir dodged but got spun around, struggled back on his feet and put an armguard up to deflect the hideously long fangs. Thankfully the moonstone metal held, and the vampire spat at the taste of the holy water.

He disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving Valmir catching his breath next to a bunch of vampires that greedily threw themselves at him. For a moment he could imagine himself being eaten alive, feeling their red eyes coming to see the fear in him, looking with joy at their food. Valmir kicked one away on instinct, blasted away a fireball and crawled to his feet. Another few spells and they were gone. Glancing about Valmir dried some sweat from his face. He felt a weight on his shoulder, a hand.

“How about this?” He could hear the vampire whisper in his ear. Valmir shoved his staff back, sparking a snarl as the vampire disappeared. He turned, opening his mouth as he saw it appear behind the conjurer. The easiest target. Valmir had no time to run across the room again and looked away as half of the man’s neck disappeared. It made him slightly light headed, slowed him down. Then he got going again. 

There was another wave of vampires, seemingly summoned from elsewhere. Not even Valmir could blast them all again. Two of the guards were already just defending themselves, and he saw the Captain was out too. The head vampire grabbed hold of Rurane’s shield, pulling him along with it, making him stumble forward. For a moment Valmir stumbled, but then continued along in big leaps. 

“I’ll blast you back into Oblivion!” He yelled angrily. The vampire just heaved Rurane’s helmet off and jerked his head to the side, sinking his fangs into his neck. He gave up a small whimper. “I’ll… I’ll-” Valmir managed before he threw his staff somewhere, jumping over Rurane as the vampire dropped him and bashed his forehead at the vampire’s nose. Perhaps he had been refreshed by the blood. Perhaps not. Still, the vampire’s nose was broken, perhaps the cheekbones too. Had he been a man he would have been crawling on the ground.

The vampire threw Valmir off himself, but he just got up and jumped back onto him. He tried to hit him, but Valmir grabbed hold of his wrist and focused a fire spell right from his hands. It hurt a bit. The vampire’s hand fell off. Then Valmir was kicked away again. He hit the wall, the world spun a bit. There was a howl from somewhere. The vampires froze for a second. Valmir saw glistening yellow eyes emerge from the other side of the sewers, then he got up and in a couple of steps jumped up to hit the head vampire with his elbow down his neck.

“Back to Oblivion with you!” He raged. The vampire went down, the werewolves attacked the rest and Valmir found a big hand grasping after him. It got hold of him and threw him about, again. He was getting a bit dizzyheaded. The vampire got up and stomped down with his clawed feet on his leg. Valmir cried out, feeling stars dance before his face. There was a sudden commotion when a werewolf toppled the vampire again.

Valmir lay breathing on his side, finding himself looking at Rurane, also on the floor. He was pale, and looked to be semi-conscious. Valmir crawled over with small shudders of pain, turned him around, finding himself shaking. Pulling his glove off he carefully bent Rurane’s head sideways, he was cold and Valmir had to close his eyes to focus. There was still a shallow breathing. He released a breath. The two bite-marks were bleeding, that was the problem. Concentrating he conjured some healing magic, closing the two wounds. Then someone pulled him back by his hurt leg.

“That one’s tasty.” Valmir rolled his eyes in pain, growling. The damn thing was still walking. It must have been a vampire lord! He should have brought a stamina potion, he thought with watering eyes. He did not know how to fight vampire lords. He felt a spell hit him, draining him of his vitality; it was like an ogre sat down on him. Slowly his head sunk back on the floor. 

Could he die? For a moment he was afraid of it, but then remembered that perhaps someone would be waiting in Aetherius for him. It made it a lot easier to focus, he managed to move his fingers slightly, grabbing hold of the foot as the vampire passed by him.

“Death will come for you.” Valmir hissed. Perhaps he did not have a lot of health left, or stamina, but magic, yes. He promptly set the vampire’s leg on fire, feeling the bone between his fingers before crushing it to ashes. There was a pained screech, the draining spell lifted from Valmir and a gentle light headedness filled his head. Everything became very quiet and bright.

The next time he opened his eyes, he saw Masser and Secunda gently floating on a purple and red sky. The sun was setting. The stars were beginning to appear. It would be a pleasant spring night in the Imperial City, Valmir thought. Next to him he saw Dagail, her hands were glowing with some gentle healing spell. She stopped as she saw him open his eyes.

“I will let the Guild know you are here.” She said.

“You…” Valmir managed.

“Yes, Pa told me to get you out. Although I was not supposed to come.” She shrugged with a happy smile. “We will be hunting the remains of them for days.” She said happily.

“And the others?” He asked. He was so fatigued he could not even raise his arm. That drain spell must have been quite heavy, he guessed.

“I do not know.” She said. “I did not see.” Valmir opened his mouth. “Please remain here and I’ll send someone to fetch you!” She said and hurried off. Valmir did not care to look after her. Instead he looked at the sky, looking through the small holes that were the stars into the realm of Aetherius.


End file.
